


27. Ok, who had a natural disaster on their 2020 bingo card?

by Anything00but



Series: Whumptober 2020 [27]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alpha Peter Hale, Alternate Universe, Angst, Bad Friend Scott McCall (Teen Wolf), Caring Peter Hale, Character Death, Dark, Dark Stiles Stilinski, End of the World, Established Relationship, Fights, Good Peter Hale, Human Stiles Stilinski, Kid Fic, M/M, Mental Breakdown, Mental Health Issues, Post-Nogitsune Stiles Stilinski, Semi-Sane Peter, Semi-Sane Stiles Stilinski, Survival, Whumptober 2020
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-27
Updated: 2020-10-27
Packaged: 2021-03-09 01:00:35
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,504
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27226192
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Anything00but/pseuds/Anything00but
Summary: Stiles runs the dark hallway as fast as he can. His footsteps echo in the empty apartment house as he runs away from his pursuers. He can hear their yells below him, somewhere in the building. He never stops to push forward as he runs- he knows stopping will get him killed.Stiles runs into an empty apartment right after Peter. He follows the older man to the room on the back closing the door after him quietly. Breathing heavily, Stiles takes out his knife and leans against the wall right next to the door.
Relationships: Peter Hale/Stiles Stilinski
Series: Whumptober 2020 [27]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1947130
Comments: 21
Kudos: 173
Collections: Whumptober 2020





	27. Ok, who had a natural disaster on their 2020 bingo card?

earthquake/extreme weather/ **power outage**

  
  


Stiles runs the dark hallway as fast as he can. His footsteps echo in the empty apartment house as he runs away from his pursuers. He can hear their yells below him, somewhere in the building. He never stops to push forward as he runs, he knows stopping will get him killed.

Stiles runs into an empty apartment right after Peter. He follows the older man to the room on the back closing the door after him quietly. Breathing heavily, Stiles takes out his knife and leans against the wall right next to the door. He waits patiently for a signal from Peter to attack. Peter can hear their pursuers better than Stiles.

It doesn’t take long until Peter lifts his finger up, indicating Stiles to get ready. Stiles grips the knife harder, making sure it won’t fly off of his hand. The door opens and Stiles attacks.

The man with a gun goes down as Stiles sinks his knife in his throat. As Stiles pulls the knife out the blood splashes all over him- he must have hit the artery. The man doesn’t even have a chance to scream as he goes down. Only a silent thud as his body hits the dirty floor. Blood is flowing on the floor, forming a pool of the hot, sticky liquid. 

Stiles takes the gun, as he heads after Peter. He follows the man and stops when he does. Stiles can hear one set of footsteps getting closer to their hiding place as he takes cover behind the door. He hears the gasp as the dead man’s friend sees the body. It’s a stupid move to go check a dead guy laying on the floor. With a dark smile on his face Stiles creeps behind the man. He takes a steady grip of the man’s hair and with one smooth cut opens the man’s throat. 

There is no sound as the man dies in his own blood right next to his friend. Stiles bares his teeth annoyed as he looks at his bloody knife and wipes it on the dead man’s clothes. Peter only smirks as he watches Stiles.

Stiles follows Peter down the hall, now walking quietly to not make any sound. They need to get out of the building with as little attention as possible. The dark hallways would have at some point of Stiles’ life made his skin crawl but now the darkness is his best friend. He likes to move in the shadows, out of sight. 

\-------------

To think he hated the darkness after the nogitsune and now he welcomes it with open arms like an old lover. It’s the darkness that drove him in Peter’s arms ten years ago when they got rid of the spirit. The darkness that has always been inside of him waking up making itself known- it would not back down and die down. It was awake and it wanted to be fed.

Scott wasn’t any help, too grieving having lost his ex girlfriend. When Stiles told the other boy about the darkness inside him, he was met with accusations of enjoying it. Scott made him feel like there was something wrong with him to have those dark thoughts. Stiles felt like he was evil, like there was something seriously wrong with him. Like he was dirty and tainted by the nogitsune. The creeping darkness around him almost drowned him before he found Peter.

Peter was his light in the middle of the darkness. The older man just appeared one night in his bedroom when Stiles was having a nightmare and never left. The infuriating sarcastic man never gave up on him when Stiles broke down and told him everything. He told the man how there is something wrong with him because he has these dark thoughts. He told Peter how Scott made him feel, like he was dirty because he likes it. Peter believed him when he cried and told that he doesn’t want to be dirty and he can’t control his thoughts. Peter only pulled him in his arms letting Stiles take comfort. 

Peter told Stiles how there was nothing wrong with him. Stiles was just waking up to his true self. That there should not be anything to be afraid of. Having dark thoughts would not make Stiles dirty or tainted. It would prove that Stiles was alive and a survivor. Peter told how he should not be ashamed of himself, that he should embrace the new side of him. Stiles did. It took time to get used to those dark impulses but once he fueled the dark thoughts he could not stop. 

It all felt like being reborn. Everything was new and exciting with Peter right next to him. Peter was always there, by his side, guiding him. The older man never judged him, never said an ill word of him. The way they just clicked must have been the reason why they got married before Stiles turned twenty. Many members of the pack asked if they rushed a little bit, getting married so soon. They asked if Stiles was sure since he was so young if he would want to spend the rest of his life with Peter. It was the last time he talked to them. He would not listen to them insult his husband.

Cora had come around, asking to come with them. Peter had smiled widely as he had welcomed his niece with them. Stiles knew how much it meant to Peter to have his niece with them. How he would have said no to that. He and Cora got along perfectly, there was no complaining from Stiles as the girl got into their car and they turned to head out of the town.

Sure, they had only been dating two years at the point but Stiles was sure. He was sure he would never want to spend a day without Peter. He had found his one true love and would never let go. Peter didn’t complain. He often said he likes to flaunt a pretty, lethal, little thing around. Stiles knew Peter was proud of him. They both loved each other like there was no tomorrow. 

As Stiles turned twenty five they adopted a pretty little girl with blue eyes and dark brown hair. A little something from both of her parents. Stiles had his fears of Peter rejecting the little girl, only one at the time when she arrived. Those weird werewolf instincts could reject her even if Peter loved her and they would not be able to keep her. Even Peter was worried about it. They had talked so long about getting a child and now it was their time to become parents. Luckily Peter’s wolf took to the little girl. Peter was over the world when he was handed their daughter for the first time without the social workers around. During the same night the little girl was showered in their scents, and Stiles wouldn’t have been happier. Cora was also happier than Stiles has ever seen the woman. Her first cousin. She would not stop spoiling her. 

The pack had something to say about their little family of three. Because why wouldn’t they have something to say about it. Stiles doesn’t even know from where they found out they had adopted a child or where they had found their phone numbers. Peter got the first call, it was from Scott. It was to accuse the man of manipulating Stiles into that and to give the baby back. The whole rant was about how Peter would not be suitable for being a father. It had hurt the man. He had cried as Stiles threw the phone on the wall. Stiles had never seen Peter cry before that, even Cora was at loss of what to do with her uncle. 

\--------------

The bright sunlight blinds Stiles for a second as he pulls himself out from a window. He is standing on a fire escape Peter right next to him. The older man is looking around from the higher ground, mapping the area in his head. Stiles observes the landscape. He watches the trees swaying in the wind. The sun makes everything seem almost normal.

Almost being the word. There are cars destroyed and burned along the roads, windows smashed in. Bodies of the first riot victims lying in the ditches where they were kicked out of the way. Stores have been cleared from products and anyone who was standing between the rioters and the stores are now hanging from the light poles. Everyone who is left is either trying to survive on their own or have joined the resistance who hunt the few lone survivors.

Stiles nods to Peter as he takes hold of the metal railing and his wedding band glistening in the sun. They climb down the stairs to the ground level. Now hiding from sight between the tall building in the alleyway. Stiles can’t hear the men following them. Maybe they managed to lose them in the building.

The dirt linting as Stiles jumps down on the sidewalk. His backpack is heavy on his shoulders as they make their way away from the building. Peter keeps glancing back at him as the older man leads the way. Stiles wants to snap at Peter but he knows it won’t do any good. They need to stay together in order to survive. 

“We need to find a river or a stream or something”, Stiles says as Peter pushes through a playground, dragging Stiles with him.

“I am trying my best”, Peter answers as he heads towards the little park behind the playground.

True to his words Peter finds them a stream. The water is clear so Stiles washes his hands in it before drinking it. The chilly water feeling heavenly on his skin as he splashes it on his face. The water dripping down his face turns pink and the disapproving look on Peter’s face says more than enough to Stiles. He washes his face until there is no trace of blood left.

“Fill the flask”, Peter orders Stiles as they are starting to get ready to continue.

Stiles nods, doing as told. He fills his flask and the empty water bottle he has in his backpack. He looks at the stuff in it. The two containers are full of water, three cans of food and a handful of candles. Stiles glances at the sky, estimating the time they have before the day ends. They still have a few hours before the sun goes down but they still need to find a place to spend the night.

Without words Stiles follows Peter’s lead as the older man shows the way. It’s been a rough five months trying to get back home to Beacon Hills from New York. Stiles regrets not taking their little girl with them. It’s been five month they have been trying to get back home through the state. The only thing bringing him comfort is that Cora is with her. And Cora would not let anything happen to their little girl.

“That looks fine to stay tonight”, Peter says pointing at a suburban house surrounded by white high fence.   
  


\--------------

  
  
  


Stiles looks at their surroundings only now noticing that they have left the city area behind them and are getting closer to the suburbs. They are walking a lane between the houses and the fences that separates them. Stiles wonders how deep in his thoughts he has been to not notice. The gap between the fences isn’t much and he is sure that they will meet trouble there if they make too much noise or stay too long in the same place. 

“Are you alright?” Peter asks as he opens the fence gate and hold it open for Stiles.

“Yeah, I’m fine”, Stiles nods walking past the man to the back yard.

Peter closes the fence after them and latches the lock on its place. The fence won’t hold anyone out if they really want to get in but it will slow them down at least.

“No you are not”, Peter says as they enter the house, “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing”, Stiles snarls, making his way to the kitchen.

He starts going through the cabinets for food. He finds some canned food but when he opens a cabinet door to find coffee he is ready to celebrate. It’s been months since he has drunk coffee. He can’t use the coffeemaker but he will find a way to make it. He shows it to Peter who only shakes his head with a smile.

“You need fire to heat the water”, Peter says looking out from the window.

“Yeah I know”, Stiles answers, coming to stand next to the man.

On the yard is a shed and right next to it is firewood. The world is smiling at Stiles as he pushes the glass door open and goes to collect wood for the fireplace. Tonight they are eating well. Peter only watches from the side as he lets Stiles work. 

It’s getting dark outside and Stiles knows he needs to cover the windows before it becomes completely dark. It’s safe to light the fire now since the smoke coming from the chimney won’t be seen in the dark. The light is a dead giveaway for anyone looking. That is the last thing they need at the moment. Stiles just wants to eat, drink coffee and go to sleep. With luck he can get six hours of sleep before his paranoia won’t let him sleep any longer.

“You need to cover the windows now”, Peter says after Stiles gets the fire started.

“I fucking know it”, Stiles curses as he pushes himself up from the floor.

Stiles gathers every blanket he can find on the ground floor of the house as he starts covering the windows. He pulls the curtains already on their place to cover the windows before covering them with thick blankets. It takes some time but he needs to make sure there won’t be any leakages. He covers the huge glass door that opens to the backyard as he locks the door.

“What’s wrong?” Peter tries again but Stiles pushes past him to the fireplace to cook.

Stiles can feel Peter’s eyes on him as he feeds the fire before starting to prepare the food in the pots he took from the kitchen. He puts the pot over the fire to boil the water for his coffee. It only takes a few minutes before the room is filled with a scent of fresh coffee. The soup Stiles put to heat is starting to warm up.

“Want some?”

Peter shakes his head as he marches up the stairs.

Stiles watches the man’s back as he disappears up the dark stairs. He shrugs and goes back to his coffee. He fills the mug with black coffee, but it’s fine. He never cared how he drinks his coffee. Immediately Stiles can feel the warm liquid affect him, the caffeine addiction going away for a while. 

He eats in peace the warm soup while savoring the taste of coffee. He watches the fire burn and slowly die leaving him in the darkness. The soup bowl hits the floor as Stiles places it down with a sigh. He knows he can’t avoid Peter’s questions much longer.

Stiles makes sure the fire is out before heading upstairs with a lit candle in his hand.

There are five rooms. Every door ajar.

“Fuck”, he think as he walks closer to the first one. 

Stiles peeks in finding a playroom for little kids. So many toys on the floor, legos to dolls, every kind of toy you could think of. The walls are painted baby blue, covered in drawings the proud parents have put on display. In those pictures he can see four people, a family of two children and their parents. As he goes through the pictures he notices one more person in the newer drawings. A baby. Stiles smiles as he looks at the drawings as they tell their story from a point of view of a child.

He walks out of the room the candle light flickering as he walks. Next room opposite of the one he just exited is a bedroom. As he walks in he sees a cradle. So that is the baby’s room. The room is plain, painted white with the baby’s picture on the wall. It must have been under a decoration at the time of the disaster.

The closer to the cradle Stiles walks the more weird it makes him feel. He carefully peeks in the cradle, feeling his dinner making its way back up. There lies the baby, or better say the baby’s body. With a bullet hole in the head, a little puddle of blood on the pillow. The baby’s body rotted away as they lay there. Stiles turns away from it as quickly as he can, hand over his mouth. 

“Darling”, Peter’s voice brings Stiles out of his thoughts.

He is sitting on the floor, the far end corner from the cradle. Tears are falling down his face as he lifts his head from his hands. The worried look Peter gives him in the dim light that the candle gives.

“It’s-”, Stiles tries to say but his voice breaks.

“I know darling, I know”, Peter says as he sits next to Stiles, “There are more.”

“Do I have to?” Stiles asks with tears glistering his eyes.

“I’m afraid so darling”, Peter nods as he takes Stiles hand in his.

“I miss her”, Stiles says as Peter pulls him up from the floor, “I miss her so much and I’m worried sick if she- if she…”

“Stiles”, Peter says sternly as he leads Stiles to the next room, “Our baby girl is alive and well with Cora. You need to stop worrying about her because she is safe with Cora and waiting for you to get home. You need to see the others to know this is real and your fear is not.”

In the next room they find more dead children on their beds with holes in the head. It makes Stiles sick to look at them but he needs to do this. He knows it. Once he sees them he knows they are not their little girl. He knows his fear of finding their baby dead is most illogical. Their apartment back in Beacon Hills is the safest place you could be when something like this happens. No one can get into their home since the door doesn’t work on electricity but rather on magic.

Their apartment is the penthouse and it’s impossible for someone to climb to it. The door won’t open with force, only a few selected people can open the door. And Cora is there with their little girl. She is in safe hands. Cora won’t let anyone in the apartment and she won’t take risks. Everything she does is thoroughly considered.

In the last bedroom Stiles finds the parents laying on their bed hand in hand, holes in their heads and the father holding the gun. It must have been hard to choose this over what waits outside. With three little kids it would have been hard, but they could have even tried. The parents choose the easy way out. The mother is holding a note in her rotting arm and Stiles takes it as he steps away from the bodies.

〜〜〜

“We are so sorry,

It never was meant to go like this. Everything was fine and then everything went to shit. This is something no parents should ever have to do, but it all comes down to this. I don’t see any other way out. I don’t want to see my little babies in the hands of those savages who enjoy doing unspeakable things to little ones. 

This is better for all of us. In heaven we can be a happy family again. Mommy and Daddy are so sorry for what we did to you. These last minutes are hard because I can see your teary eyes looking at me as I hold you as your Daddy takes care of others first. The agony in your eyes tells me that you know what is coming, and it’s tearing me apart. But as I stroke your cold cheeks I know that you are waiting up there for us to come. 

Love Mommy and Daddy”

〜〜〜

  
  


Tears stream down Stiles cheeks as he rips the note in two and lets the pieces fall on the floor. They killed their children because they thought they can’t manage out there. Peter stares at the note, not meeting Stiles’ gaze.

“Did you know of the letter?” Stiles asks angrily as he wipes the tears away.

“No”, Peter answers immediately, “I wouldn’t be that cruel.”

“Oh would you not?” Stiles asks as he walks out of the room.

Stiles doesn’t hear Peter following him. He knows it’s a death wish to head outside when it’s dark especially when he doesn’t have bullets. So he heads to the children’s playroom and slams the door shut. He is in darkness, having left the candle with Peter. 

Fuck it, he doesn’t need the candle. He can manage to make a bed without it. And he does, he stacks the soft baby blankets and stuffed toys to make himself a makeshift bed. It’s weird to lay there without Peter next to him but he will not talk to the man until tomorrow. 

He pulls out the necklace he has been wearing for three months. He knows what the ring on it feels like and how much it weights. He knows it even in his dreams. It’s warm against his hand, having been resting against his chest under his shirt. He had cleaned the ring from blood and placed it on the necklace. To feel it under his fingers makes Stiles calm down, he needs to do this for his daughter. He needs to get home before it’s too late.

\-----------

“Stiles get up”, Peter’s whisper wakes him up the next morning.

“What is it?” Stiles asks sitting up.

“Someone is in the house.”

And Stiles hears it. He can hear the footsteps coming from the floor below them. He jumps up from the makeshift bed only to remember he has all his guns downstairs. He facepalms himself for being so careless. 

“What do we do?” Stiles asks from Peter as he peeks out of the room, not seeing anyone on the upper floor with him.

“We need a weapon”, Peter informs helpfully and receives a glare from Stiles.

“No shit”, Stiles hisses at him while looking around the room.

There is literally nothing he could use as a weapon. There are toys, tons of them and none of them can be turned into a weapon. Stiles can’t suffocate the intruder with a stuffed toy even if he would love to do it. The books and other toys won’t help him either. He turns to look at Peter again who shakes his head.

With a silent huff Stiles makes his way out of the room. He creeps one step at a time listening after everyone if he is heard. Stiles thanks the god for the house not having creaky floorboards. He is free to move around the upper floor while the person on the first floor goes through his stuff. Stiles heads to the master bedroom wanting to get the gun. He ignores the bodies on the bed as he takes the gun. 

Out of ammo, of course. He doesn’t have time to look for more as he can hear steps coming up the stairs. Stiles closes the door silently, paying himself some time. He rushes to the office desk that is in the room. There must be something he can use, anything at all he can use.

He pulls the drawers open finding notes and bank statements. And a letter opener.

Stiles grips the letter opener as he moves to stand behind the door. It’s only a matter of minutes before the intruder is there. Stiles listens as the person goes through the rooms one by one. Stiles holds his breath as the footsteps move to the master bedroom’s door. He raises his hand that holds the letter opener and gets ready to strike.

The door opens slowly, a gun peeking inside the room first. Stiles waits as the door opens more and the person takes a step inside the room. The person never steps further, for a reason Stiles doesn’t know. A gut feeling from their side if he really has to guess for a reason. 

Stiles attacks but given the angle and the door still between them, he has the person dodged in time to avoid the blade. Stiles manages to sway the intruder enough for him to lose his grip on the gun. A loud thud is heard as the gun falls on the floor. Now the fight will be a little bit more equal.

It’s a man, Stiles notes as he kicks the door open when the man jumps to the hallway away from him. The man has dark brown hair and he is dressed in a dark blue hoodie. He doesn’t look like he belongs with the resistance but it would not be the first time someone going rogue. The man doesn’t carry any badges on his sleeves like the resistance fighters do. It’s all Stiles manages to see before the man is on him. He is thrown against a wall by the man and Stiles can only wonder where the hell Peter disappeared. 

Stiles’ fighting instincts kick in as the man tries to wrap his hands around his throat. The man clearly didn’t expect Stiles to fight that hard against as Stiles struggles himself free. Stiles punches the man, sending him on the other side of the hallway. The man spits blood on the floor with a snarl as he glares at Stiles. Stiles bares his teeth at the man, telling the other man that he isn’t going down easy.

The man takes it clearly as an invitation to test if Stiles is right. Stiles doesn’t have time to react as the man charges at him and tackles him.

They fall on the hard wooden floor, the man on top of Stiles. Stiles can smell the man’s breath and it makes him want to puke. It’s like someone is blowing a scent of rotten meat at him. Like it's the end of the world but could you still maintain your personal hygiene. It’s not like you won’t find a toothbrush and toothpaste in the stores anymore. Those are things that Stiles finds in every single story he goes through. 

Stiles gags as he gets his leg between them and pushes the man off of him. This gives Stiles time to act as the man falls on his back. Stiles turns around and grabs his blade. His fingers grip the cool metal handle as he turns back to the man. It's a fight or die situation and they both know it as they circle each other in the room.

Stiles attacks first. He surges forward quickly, hitting the man on the shoulder with the blade. It’s not a clean hit, or even a very powerful one. There is a bleeding wound on the man’s shoulder but nothing to stop him down much. Before Stiles manages to step away from the man his hand is grabbed and the blade is twisted from his hand.

Stiles cries in pain as his wrist turns under the pressure the man uses to get him to let go of the blade. The man pushes Stiles on the floor as he lets go of Stiles, going for the blade. Once more on the floor Stiles tries to crawl away from the man in vain. The man attacks and Stiles doesn’t have anywhere to dodge it. The blade sinks into his arm, cutting the flesh and leaving behind a throbbing feeling.

The man is on top of him again, trying to sink the blade in Stiles neck. Everything happens so fast as Stiles hits the man’s elbow making the man’s arm give in. As the man loses his balance Stiles turns the blade around forcing the man to fall on it. The look of terror that washes over the man’s face is beautiful when he feels the blade dig into his chest. It’s too late for him then, Stiles has come out of the fight victorious.

Stiles can feel the warm blood flowing over him as the man slowly dies on top of him. Stiles listens to the man’s breathing getting more and more labored until it finally stops after what feels like hours. There is something mesmerizing to watch the light die in the man’s eyes as he dies there, on top of Stiles bleeding all over him. 

“Am I interrupting something?” Peter’s voice breaks the silence that had fallen over the room.

“No you are not”, Stiles groans as he pushes the man off of him, leaving the cooling body on the floor, “Thanks for the help and all that.”

“Come on, you know there isn’t much I can do”, Peter states as he walks over to Stiles, checking his injuries, “Besides, you seemed to have it all under control. Minus the little setbacks of course.”   


“I am glad you can find humor in this”, Stiles snarls as he shows his arm to Peter.

“Well someone has to. You sure as hell won’t”, Peter answers as he ushers Stiles out of the bedroom and towards the stairs, “It needs to be cleaned and bandaged. Nothing too serious that you wouldn't heal from.”

Stiles sees his backpack still in one piece by the fireplace. The first thing he does is to take off the blood covered clothes. He throws them in the corner not caring about them. It would be too much work to wash them. He takes out one bottle of water with the first-aid-kit he found in a store earlier that week. Stiles heads to the kitchen Peter hot in heels and takes a kitchen towel wetting it. He cleans his skin from the blood, not wanting to feel the sticky liquid on him for a second longer. He spares a glance towards Peter, seeing the older man eyeing him nervously.

“I’m fine”, Stiles sighs as he opens the first-aid-kit taking out everything he needs to clean the cut.

“I know”, Peter nods making eye contact with Stiles, “I’m just worried.”

Stiles ignores this as he pours disinfectant on the cut. It stings as the liquid enters the cut and kills the bacteria but it’s either this or an infection later on. Stiles will much rather take this any day. He bandages it after wiping away the disinfectant. The towel now red and pink as Stiles discharges it on the floor.

As he is putting the kit back in his pack he notices his phone. He hasn’t used it in months. There is no use for phones anymore. Stiles still carries it with him, a sentimental value or something like that. He takes the phone out from the pack and just stares at it. Peter sits next to him taking his hand, trying to get the phone.

“No!” Stiles snarls not letting go of his phone.

“Darling you know-” Peter starts.

“Yes I know!” Stiles yells as he turns to look at Peter, “I know it won’t turn on anymore. I know there will not be electricity to charge it. There will not be anything anymore that uses electricity. I know, believe me I know. I have been listening to you for months.”

It’s been like that for months, ever since it all went down. First died the street lights and then tvs and then phones. You could not call anyone, you would not get information of what is happening from anywhere. You had to live what went down yourself.

People call it a power outage but what fucking outage wipes out everything. Nothing with electricity works. No phones, no lights, not even batteries for flashlights work. To say people went crazy when they found this out would be putting it lightly. It caused riots, violent ones. People died and no one cared. It was about survival and it still is. 

Bullets are like gold nowadays. Once people understood that there would be no way to make more of them they started to save them. It’s an improvement if you ask from Stiles who witnessed those same people waste them like there would not be tomorrow just weeks before that.

“It won’t start I know it”, Stiles cries as he waves the dark phone in his hand, “But I can’t leave it behind.”

The phone holds pictures of their daughter. From the day she came into their lives to the day when they left for the trip. She has turned six already. The journey through the state takes much longer on foot than with a car. Stiles hates it. He just wants to hold his little girl in his arms again. 

The phone also holds the last pictures of him and Peter. Stiles will not let anything happen to that phone. He can hope they can somehow turn the power back on.

“You know you have to let it go sometime”, Peter whispers sounding sad.

“It’s easy for you to say”, Stiles answers with venom behind his words.

“Don’t say that. You know this is the last thing I wanted. This is the last thing I wanted to happen to us. I was happy”, Peter sighs walking out of the room leaving Stiles behind.

\-----------

“After I get home I will not walk a meter from the bed. I will just sleep and lay down and let you serve me”, Stiles whines playfully as they reach the sign of Beacon Hills.

“I believe you will”, Peter laughs.

Stiles can feel how all the stress just disappears from his shoulders as he walks past the sign. He is finally home and he can see his baby girl. He can’t wait as he places the backpack better on his back. It will take an hour to reach home from where they are. After all those months of walking and fighting to survive. All that to get home to his family.

“It’s not far from now”, Peter says as they keep walking.

The woods surrounding them slowly turn into houses along the empty road. Then ever so slowly into a neighbourhood Stiles remembers playing as a child. The neighbourhood is silent and Stiles doesn’t want to disturb it. He is so close to being home and he will not let anything come in his way. The houses slowly turn into apartment houses.

When they reach their building Stiles can see the front glass door broken. It’s not much of a surprise but it still makes him worry. The lobby is messed up, graffities everywhere and broken glass breaking under his shoes as he walks. Stiles sees the clear, unimpressed look on Peter’s face as they walk past the lobby and head towards the stairs.

It’s seven floors up and the dark staircase isn’t a place Stiles would love to go. But there is no other way to get to the top and to their apartment. Peter nods as Stiles pushes the door open leading to the staircase. He takes out a candle and lights it to see.

The candle almost falls on the ground as Stiles sees a body. It’s only half of the body which is concerning. It’s old and seems like it has been there for a long time. Maybe since day one. Stiles can’t hear anything, no voices or footsteps anywhere. So he starts making his way up.

It takes five minutes for Stiles to reach the top floor. The staircase is in relatively good shape, if you don’t count in the body at the bottom. Stiles pushes the door open to see their apartment door still intact. It gives him hope as he rushes to knock on it.

First he doesn’t hear anything as he knocks, but when he keeps going he can hear footsteps inside.

“Who's there?” Cora’s voice asks from the other side.

“It’s me”, Stiles calls out waiting for the door to open.

The door flies open as Cora pulls him into a hug. Stiles hugs back just as hard. He has missed her.

“Daddy!”

Stiles lets go of Cora as he turns to his daughter. She is wearing a blue sundress and her hair is in two braids. Stiles lifts her up, burying his nose in the girl’s neck. She has grown a lot during the year but she is alive and well. It is all that matters to Stiles.

“Oh baby”, Stiles cries as he hugs the little girl, “Daddy has missed you so much.”

“Where’s papa?” She asks, waving her tiny arms as she looks around.

“What do you mean? Papa is-” Stiles turns around to see no one behind him.

Peter is not standing there like he was a minute ago. Cora looks like she doesn’t know what he is talking about. Stiles looks around the hallway but there is no one.

“Stiles? Where’s uncle Peter?” Cora asks carefully, her face lightening up like she understood something.

“He was just there”, Stiles argues, “Don’t you smell him?”

“No I don’t”, Cora answers, “You don’t smell like him at all.”

“What?” Stiles asks, not believing her.

“When was the last time you were with him?”

“I was just with him!” Stiles yells before his vision blurs.

He hands his daughter to Cora while taking support from the wall. His head feels like it’s going to blow up. But he remembers. He remembers the day when he last saw Peter. It was the day the man died. Stiles remembers the blood in his hands as he tried to stop the bleeding but it was too late. The man was dead already and it all had taken a second as Stiles had looked away from the man. They did not see the attack coming and they had them pinned until Peter cleared a path for him.

Stiles’ hand shoots to his necklace and to the ring that hangs from it. It is Peter’s.

A single tear falls down Stiles cheek as he falls to his knees on the floor.

All the months he has lived after Peter’s death- but he has lived those with the man. It has been so real to him. All those times when Peter told him he loved him, all those times when they kissed and hold hands. It has all been a trick of his mind.

Their daughter wiggles out of Cora’s hold coming to Stiles. Stiles pulls the girl to his arms while he wipes his tears away.

“Where’s papa?” She asks again as Stiles hugs her, hiding his face in her neck.

**Author's Note:**

> Would you be interested in reading a longer version of this(with more details and such...)? This is just a short version of what I had on my mind as I don't have time to write longer at the moment.


End file.
